People's Choice Today's Jewish book award winners reflect more and more the tastes of the general reading public. Sue Fishkoff Jewish Telegraphic Agency T he people have spoken, and they spake Foer. Everything is Illuminated, Jonathan Safran Foer's tragi-comic tale of a young American Jew's journey through Ukraine in search of his grandfather's roots, is the first winner of JBooks.com's People's Choice Award for the decade's best work of Jewish fiction. The award, and a $5,000 check, will be presented Nov. 15 at the Koret International Jewish Book Awards ceremony in San Francisco to author Foer, who was in Southfield in September to speak to more than 700 people at this year's season-open- ing meeting of the Greater Detroit Chapter of Hadassah. That doesn't mean Foer's novel really is the decade's best book, not by the usual stan- dards. It just means that the more than 1,500 readers who cast their votes in the six-week, online contest liked it better than the other five contenders, a list judges whittled down from 115 readers' suggestions. The credence one gives to such an award depends on whether one prefers a laurel wreath bestowed by the crowd or the crit- ics. Online voting tends to draw a younger Crowd, and is subject to ballot-box stuffing, organizers admit, although they say they weeded out suspicious patterns. Certainly the contest, which ran Sept. 6 to Oct. 16, got lots of folks involved in choosing their favorite Jewish book, and that's what groups are honoring emerging Jewish writ- ers during the same ceremony. The Koret ceremony has been moved from April to November, to coincide with the year's biggest book-buying season. the organizers wanted. Categories have been tweaked to attract "The idea is to give readers access to the entries that readers and book groups are awards," to reward "what people are reading more likely to purchase. and enjoying and talking about': says project "Fiction," the mainstay of most book manager Jane Hadley. clubs, remains untouched, but gone are The People's Choice Award is part of cur- the categories of "History" and "Biography, rent efforts to make Jewish books more Autobiography and Literary Studies': which, accessible — or, rather, to reward those • say Koret organizers, tended to reward books books that are more accessible, a conscious too scholarly or esoteric to appeal to lay goal of the newly restyled Koret Awards. The readers. They were replaced by "Jewish Life Koret Awards are being run this year for the and Living': a more wide-ranging category first time by Jewish Family and Life in coop- that drew 127 entries this year, more than eration with the National Foundation for any other. Jewish Culture. The winners, and many of the finalists, The Korets, sponsored by were not always the obvious the Koret Family Foundation choices. since 1998, have been "criti- In the "Jewish Life and Living" cized as too heavy and high- category, Rochel Berman's brow': says newly appointed Dignity Beyond Death, a Jewish Family and Life CEO gentle, somewhat obscure book Amir Cohen. "We've brought it about Jewish burial societies, down a notch. It's still presti- beat out Deborah Lipstadt's bet- gious, but it speaks to a larger ter-known History on Trial, the piece of the Jewish book- chronicle of her well-publicized reading public" legal battle against Holocaust Jewish Family and Life denier David Irving. Jonathan Safran Foer founder Yossi Abramowitz, And while Israeli author David chair of the awards steering Grossman is well known to committee, says the new Koret American Jewish readers, both Awards are actively trying to for his prize-win s ning books and Tire JfWiShPfelftildti011 for bid] influence Jewish book buying. his leftist politics, Her Body "Our goal is not only to Knows, which took this year's honor excellence, but to fiction award, is "sexy very racy': help book clubs in their says Abramowitz, "an interesting buying decisions and influ- choice ence Jewish culture; says Is this wrong? That depends Abramowitz, speaking from on how one understands the role his new home in Israel. of book awards. Are they meant Noting that most Jewish to reward the most rarefied book clubs are "still over- tastes, or those of most people? whelmingly women, highly Should they honor literary or educated, meeting informally" academic excellence, or books he says the changes were that readers will want to devour? "very much made with these The market for Jewish books book clubs and these women is hot, and book clubs are fast in mind" proliferating. If awards want to The changes were also be relevant, organizers say, they made with younger readers need to be part of the popular in mind. Along with the five dialogue, even as they encourage Koret Awards, three other excellence. Dignity Beyond Death And The Winners Are ... KAFKA BRONTLLAND fi at! ”(ht, stories The 2006 Koret International Book Awards go to: • Jewish Life and Living: Dignity Beyond Death, Roche! Berman. • Jewish Thought: Betraying Spinoza, Rebecca Goldstein. • Fiction: Her Body Knows, David Grossman. • BabagaNewz Children's Literature: Before You Were Born, Howard Schwartz, illustrated by Kristina Swarner. • JBooks.Com People's Choice Award for the decade's best work of Jewish fiction: Everything is Illuminated, Jonathan Safran Foer. • Reform Judaism Prize for Jewish Fiction: Kafka in Bronteland, Tamar Yellin. • National Foundation for Jewish Culture's Samuel Goldberg and Sons Foundation Prize for emerging writer of Jewish fiction: The Discontinuity of Small Things, Kevin Haworth. • Anne and Richard Cowan Writer's Award of the Jewish Community Endowment Rind: Julie Orringer. — Sue Fishkoff, JTA Florida Stone Crab Claws Now In Season! Flown in Jet Fresh every Thursday from the docks of sunny Florida. Median, Large & Jumbo Dinners * Served with mustard sauce and sweet potato fries. 621 S. Opdyke Rd. 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